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Tips for taking medicines

Babies and toddlers under age 2 can’t understand why medicine is
important. But they find comfort in routine.

Slowly squirt liquid medicine into the side of
their mouth.

Put the medicine into a nipple and allow your child
to suck on the nipple.

2–4

Toddlers understand simple explanations for taking medicines, such as
“the medicine will help you feel better.” But, they may not like the taste or
know how to swallow medicine.

Mix medicine with applesauce, juice, pudding
or ice cream.

Avoid distractions. Turn off the TV or take a
break from playing so your child can focus on taking medicine.

Include taking medicines in their play. Your
child may want to give pretend medicine to a stuffed animal or doll before
taking the real medicine.

5–8

Children in this age group appreciate having some control and enjoy
tracking progress to earn rewards.

Talk with your child about the importance of
taking medicines to get better and stay healthy.

Offer your child a choice of time and place to
take the medicine, such as now or in 5 minutes. Give your child choices about
what to drink or eat with it.

Use a sticker chart to track medicine and
offer a small reward for milestones.

9–12

Older children may be more aware of side effects caused by each
medicine. They also understand the consequences of not taking their
medicines, such as having to go back to the hospital.

Involve your child in their health care. If
your child has questions about the medicines or concerns about side effects,
help them write down questions to ask the doctor at the next appointment.

Schedule medicines around times your child can
do something fun. For example, after you take your medicine, you can watch
this video or TV show, or do this activity.

13–18

Teens may rely on parents for support but also want to gain
independence. Fitting in to a peer group is important to teens.

They may be resistant to taking medicines or doing things that make
them feel different. Some teens may hide medicines or secretly spit them out.

Stress the importance of taking medicine and
the consequences of not taking it.

Send a text message with a reminder to take
the medicine, or set a reminder on your teen’s cell phone.

Reinforce desired behaviors. Notice when your
teen is being responsible for their care and offer a compliment.

As needed, supervise your teen taking
medicines to make sure they’re not being skipped or discarded.

Talk to another parent

It can help to talk to another parent caring for a child after transplant. The Be The Match Peer Connect program connects you with a trained volunteer who is also a parent caregiver. They can answer your questions and share their own experiences. Learn more and request a connection.

Stories from other parents

Ben, transplant recipient, with his mom, Katy

“My sister first started by putting the pills in ice cream and teaching how to swallow the ice cream whole without searching for the pills. He was hesitant at first, but after a while we figured out the right amount of ice cream he could handle without noticing the pills.”

- Megan, Ben’s aunt

Amanda, transplant recipient with her mom, Lizette

“For the most part, Amanda understood why she needed to take her medicines and was good about doing so. But she resisted her anti-seizure medicine. What finally worked is when we explained the consequences of her not taking the medicine. She was old enough to get her driver’s permit, but it would be dangerous to her and others if she drove and wasn’t taking her medicine. Once she could show us that she was committed to taking the medicine, we arranged for her to start driving classes.”

- Lizette, Amanda’s mom

Caleb, transplant recipient with his mom, Ann

“Caleb was so little he didn’t know why he had to take his medicines. He’d fight us and we would have to hold him down so we could squirt them in the back of his mouth. It was hard to do, but we got them in. Eventually, we found chocolate syrup cut the bitterness.”